Discharge conveyer mechanism for articles



Oct. 16, 1951 E. HOFFMAN 2,571,135

DISCHARGE CONVEYER MECHANISM FOR ARTICLES Filed May 14, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l m M I N M R m Q W m M 1951 E. HOFFMAN 2,571,135

, DISCHARGE CONVEYER MECHANISM FOR ARTICLES Filed May 14, 1947 :5 Sheets-Sheet 2 o 0 INVENTOR ATTORNEY6 1951 E. HOFFMAN DISCHARGE CONVEYER MECHANISM FOR ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 14, 1947 ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 16, 1951 DISCHARGE CONVEYEBLMECHANISM FOE A TICL S- ErnestaHoffman; Nutley, N.:J.; assignor tocAmerm ican Gan.;Compa1 1 y, New Z'YOIkDQ -T" Y' a comp;

ration of New Jersey ApplicationMay l ii 1947, Serial rial-748,100

5 '(Jlainisa (01.198533);

The present invention relates to 39 discharge conveyor mechanism for articles; such: as; (3011:. tainerbodies or the like and @has particularereference -to movable devices for shifting-the. articles from one position into-another position toifacilil- 5 tate discharge of the articles to a suitableeplace of-deposit- An objectof the invention is th'esprovisionlin a; discharge conveyor:- mechanism of movable;- de:

vices wherein :the devices have a. rotary .move-.

ment and-act against the :articles for shifting; them :into :an advantageous position prior. to discharge-to facilitate the discharge'of such articles traveling vin a continuousi'procession.

Another object is theiprovision of such1dis+- charge devices I wherein-othe articles to. be dise; charged are acted upon gently .andsmoothly while; turning: :them (from one1positioninto another so; thatithe articles maybe-dischargedat high .rates:

of speed without in an twawmarringorrdamag=v a charge devic-es wherein articlestravelingiinpan no.

uprightor vertical position may bereadily turned into; a horizontal position :while travelingat high ratesuof speedto facilitateidischarge,iofitheartie; clestoasuitable placelof deposit,

Numerous other objects and advantageslofithep invention will be apparentas it isibetter under: stood from the followingdescription, which; taken .in connection. with the accompanying drawe ings, discloses a preferred embodimentthereof Referring to the drawings:

Figureal is a top planlview of a conveyor-mecha anism. having container'bodies in place thereon and embodying; the instant invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2.,is a side elevation of ,the mechanism and the container bodies shown in Fig, 1, with parts broken away;

Fig.3 is; a sectional View taken substantially. along the: line 33 inFig 2, with, parts broken away; and

Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing how the container bodies are turned ov-er,

As a preferred embodiment of the instant in-H vention the drawings 1 illustrate a discharge con-w veyorlmechanism for turning container bodies Al (Figs. 1 and 2), moving in double-file continuousi processions, fronr averticalflposition =into a horizontal'wpositi'dn and-' for- 'carrying them in the; h'or izontal position' in==-a single fi-le to -any suitable; pl'aoe of deposit The containen-bodies A, shown: in 'the dlawihgs as am exemplary-embo'di ment; ars d? the r-ectamgular shaped-fibre material type which may be used for frozen foods and otherproducts. The container bedits-At0 be discharged as incident to the body-forming operationspr other: prier 'treatmentg aredisposed in a-vertical omend or =u-prig-l-1t pcsitiemand are a-r'ranged-in a double row or lane;-continuous processionmoving along apredetermined-patli ofltraveron aifeed conveyor" H-=(Figs-.-' land- 2) whicli may -iorzn a'-'part= of a more ela b'orate maehine for performing-'opera-*- tions-onthe-=bodies=carried therethrouglrl The" conveyor l t shownin'thedrawings-is=of'the=end less chain type disposedirr-a- *horizbntal pos'ition and operates over aspro'ck'et l2**(see-also Fig."3-) mounted on a drive-shaft l3 ournaled iri suitable bearings formed an '-a-frame which-may constitute 1 the-'main frame of the machine. The driveshaft may be rotated in anysuitableananner z The-advancing container bodies A are-support-"- ed on cradles I Wsecuredto the conveyor l t at spaced intervals? Each cradle preferably supports two container bodies "disposedin side by sideor par-aileron:denble=-file' *relationship5 R'stainerlugs-"l 7* projeetingmp from -th cradles -I 6 extend up intothe bodiesand'hold them in apre determined location while-traveling withtlie C0114" veyor: There are--fo'ur' of the'se *reta'i-nerddgs fereach bodyand they are located-so astoengage the body adi-acent its four-corners The conveyor 1 carries =the uprightbodies irito a dischargemechar-iisnnwhich ineludes a-pair of discharge conveyors 2G and a turnover device-2ll The discharge conveyorsw are-located spaced and parallelr-elation witli--each =othr and 'wi-th the-feedingconveyor- -I i and aredis-posed omeon each side ofthe body feeding rurr of the feedhon veyor H as bcastshowrr irrFigs,=-=land 3;- I

The dischargeiconveyors ifl respectivelyi com prisecontinuously:operating endless-achains 225.1 which operate oven)verticalsadrivingssprocketsr23 and: idler; sprockets 14.: mountedarespectivelyzom;

Each of the discharge conveyors 20 is provided with container body carriers 3| (see also Fig. 4) which are secured to the conveyor chains 22 at spaced intervals, which spacing preferably corresponds to the spacing of the cradles IS on the feed conveyor The body carriers 3| are formed with rear body locating lugs 32 which extend up from the top of the carriers and a curved side wall section 33 having an off set retaining ledge 34.

The two longitudinal edges of the carriers 3| are formed with tongues 35 which enter into and slide along grooves 36 in side guides 31, when the carriers travel along the upper runs of the discharge conveyors. The guides 31 are secured to the main frame of the machine and extend along the full length of the upper runs of the conveyors and support the carriers against sag-' ging. The carriers are thus maintained in a horizontal plane while traveling along the upper runs of the conveyors.

The turnover device 2| includes a rotary turnover element which comprises a vertically disposed flat disc 4| having a pair of laterally extending vanes 42 secured thereto and located one on each side of the disc in alignment with each other. The vanes preferably have a spiral shaped outer face 43 and a tapered and curved outer edge 44 which merges into the outer periphery of the disc. The two vanes taken together form a V-shaped curved wedge.

The turnover disc or element 4| is located above and at the longitudinal center of the feed conveyor H and is mounted on a transverse shaft 46 journaled in a pair of spaced bearing brackets 41 bolted to the main frame. The shaft is continuously rotated in any suitable manner in time with the travel of the container bodies on the feeding conveyor II, the shaft and the disc 4| carried thereon making one revolution for each pair of bodies on the conveyor.

Hence as the double lane of the bodies on the feeding conveyor approaches the discharge mechanism, they pass one on each side of the turnover disc 4| and are engaged by the outer tapered edges of the vanes 42 as the vanes rotate with the disc as best shown in Fig. 4. The vanes acting as a wedge between the two bodies forces them outwardly in a direction away from each other and toward the discharge conveyors 20.

This outward deflection of the bodies pivots or hinges them on the outer retainer lugs I! of the cradles l6 and thus starts them falling through an are from their vertical position into a horizontal position toward the discharge conveyors 20. Of the two bodies on each cradle l6, one falls toward one discharge conveyor and the other falls toward the opposite discharge conveyor.

The falling bodies are received in the body carriers 3| on the discharge conveyors 20, the upper edges of the bodies passing down along the curved end guide or wall section 33 of the carriers into a horizontal position under the retaining ledge 34. The bodies in this position are carried in spaced and timed order by the discharge conveyors to any suitable place of deposit while the retaining ledge 34 and the rear lugs 32 of the carriers hold the bodies in place.

Thus the double lane of vertically disposed bodies A traveling on the feed conveyor II, is divided into two separate single lanes or files or rows of bodies disposed in a horizontal position for discharge to separate subsequent operation machines or other suitable disposal. 7

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a discharge conveyor mechanism for ar ticlessuch as container bodies and the like, the combination of feeding means for advancing container bodies in an upright position, discharge means disposed adjacent said feeding means for receiving said container bodies on their sides from said feeding means, and an axially fixed rotatable member disposed in the path of travel of the bodies on said feeding means, said rotatable member having a peripherally curved laterally inclined side wall portion for engaging against the sides of successive container bodies being advanced by said feeding means for laterally tilting said bodies onto their side surfaces and in such position onto said discharge means.

2. In a discharge conveyor mechanism for articles such as container bodies and the like, the combination of feeding means for advancing container bodies in spaced upright position, an axially fixed rotatable deflector member having oppositely tapered circumferential edges disposed in the path of travel of the bodies and engageable between 'and against the advancing bodies for laterally displacing them from the feeding means and for turning them upon their sides, and discharge means disposed adjacent said feeding means for receiving the thus displaced and turned bodies and for discharging them to a place of deposit.

3. In a discharge conveyor mechanism for articles such as container bodies and the like, the combination of a feed conveyor for advancing two adjacent bodies in spaced relation and corresponding position along a path of travel, an axially fixed wedge shaped vane having peripherally curved and oppositely tapered deflecting edges rotatable in the path of travel of said bodies and engageable against and between said advancing bodies for moving the bodies in opposite directions from said feed conveyor and for turning said bodies into different corresponding positions, and a pair of discharge conveyors disposed on opposite sides of said feed conveyor for respectively receiving the thus displaced bodies and for moving them to a place of deposit.

4. In a discharge conveyor mechanism for articles such as container bodies and the like, the combination of a feed conveyor for advancing container bodies in multiple file in an upright position along a path of travel, an axially fixed rotatable disc disposed in the path of travel of said multiple file of bodies and engageable by said advancing bodies for moving them in opposite lateral directions from said feed conveyor and for tilting the bodies into a different corresponding position, and a discharge conveyor disposed adjacent said feeding means for receiving the thus displaced bodies and for advancing them to a place of deposit.

5. In a discharge conveyor mechanism for articles such as container bodies and the like, the combination of a feeding conveyor having spaced cradles thereon for carrying and advancing pairs of vertically disposed bodies in a continuous procession in spaced and timed order, a pair of discharge conveyors located one on each side of said feeding conveyor and operable in time therewith, a plurality of carriers mounted on said discharge conveyors in a spaced relation corresponding to said cradles on the feeding conveyor, a disc located in line with the space between the bodies of each pair advancing with said feeding conveyor, said disc being rotatable in time with the advancing pairs of bodies, a pair of spiral faced vanes carried by said disc and located one on each side thereof and having curved tapered edges forming a Wedge shaped member engageable with and between bodies of each pair for forcing them outwardly away from each other for removing the bodies from said feeding conveyor and for turning them simultaneously from their vertical REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,636,235 Knowles July 19, 1927 1,860,718 Mott May 31, 1932 2,115,255 David et al. Apr. 26, 1938 2,439,657

Hexter et a1 Apr. 13, 1948 

